Show Looking Ahead AheU D. D By DR n. n GEORGE S. S BENSON DENSON It Il is just possible that the year car 1963 will go down in history history his his- tory as the year of oC awakening with regard to political moral moral- ity Irresponsibility and even mischief in public l life e are not unrelated to laxity of moral standards generally but it does docs seem that American citizens cit cit cit- have ha too long tolerated standards in national political life liCe that are unjustifiable This is not to say that all public servants fail all the time to devote themselves to the common cornmon com corn mon weal nor that any Is always al ale a- a ways faithless to U this s trust NEVERTHELESS If U we voting voting vot vot- ing tax paying American citizens cit cit cit- izeriS would watch more vigorously vigorously vig vig- the credentials records records rec rec- and performance of or of of- fice seekers we should have a better nation But the trouble is that we get the kind trouble of or government gov gov- we deserve and it is mostly the fault of oC the electorate elector elector- ate that all alt is not well Recently Edward P. P Neilan president of the Chamber of Commerce of or the US U.S. gave official Washington the jitters by exploring c these problems in ina ina ina a speech to the National Press Club The jolt brought attacks attacks at at- tacks and protests on the floors of oC both houses of Congress Con Con- gress TilE THE THEME UE of Mr Nell Neil ans an's remarks was that the spirit of getting more from I Washington is making the nations nations nation's na na- na tion's lions congressmen into bagmen bagmen bagmen bag men for their constituencies a practice as immoral as the scandals of spy sex Bri Bri- tain tam lie He decried massive vote buying or election bribery that runs into billions of dollars all of or it done openly and even en engaged in eagerly by the American people Responsibility ResponsE ResponsE- for the bulk of or this spending or bribing pow pow power er rests with the party nv in power pow er for it holds the purse strings on billions of or dollars of vote getting projects accelerated accelerated ac ac- ac public works urban urbanand urbanand urbanand and rural area redevelopment space defense contracts Mr Neilan continued Who Vho is so naive to believe belleve that they will not use them or that our whole electorate is incorruptible ble The spoils system is not new in American political life but it is more sophisticated more sinister than ever before be fore and never ne have we seen such widespread public acceptance acceptance ac of political bribery MR NR NEILAN was specific lie He cited the Area Redevelop ment Administration as one example which actually has done nothing nor can it do anything to change the basic conditions that make d de depressed e e. e pressed areas Beginning with areas as officially depressed de pressed he said this sophisticated sophis heated spoils s system stem now includes in in- eludes 1000 eligible areas and the list is growing lie He recommended recommended mended a return to local self self- help and a dependence upon local leadership and local responsibility re rc- rc an old but workable workable work able approach does docs this He asked Where 4 vote buying labeled assistance assistance assist assist- ance stop Is the federal government government gov gov- to pour out tax money money monoe mon mono e ey emd and md borrowed funds endlessly end end- l lessly to bail out every com corn every industry ever every individual company that finds itself in trouble OR IS IT the proper role of oC the federal government to curtail curtail cur cur- tail this spending in order to create the sound foundation for Cor sustained economic growth which will enable the whole American community to prosper prosper pros pros- per What result Taking it il with poor grace the New was outraged Secretary of Commerce Hodges called the speech a disservice derogatory derogatory derogatory atory and not proper Rep Wright Patman of oC Tex a s claimed to be shocked by U this s man of such vast ignorance ignorance ance and unlimited ill will He suggested Neilan be deported de ported to some Fascist country country coun try since obviously he hates the American people and he hates America Senate Majority Majority Ma Ma- Leader Mansfield bitterly bitterly bit bit- terly attacked poor Neilan labeling his speech propaganda propaganda propaganda ganda of or the far right And AmI so on BUT nUT MR Neilan newly come to Washington and quite shocked himself its by cynicism cism cisin fired another volley Ina Ina in ina a letter to Senator Mansfield By what dispensation fron froni the moral order docs does Washington Washing ton abide that a man is held up to scorn for upholding a simple virtue for declaring 11 il ilIs is dishonest to take something from others without recompense recompense recompense pense and put it to purely selfish sd- sd sel fish use Following his address Mr Neilan told the Senator tha that people from rom all parts of oC the country who seem to know what is going on and seem not notto notto notto to appreciate it have begged him to keep it up lIe He proposes proposes proposes pro pro- poses to do so Hooray for Edward Neilan 4 1 |